California Proposition 8 Affects more Than Gays!!

So, the November election is coming up very quickly. In California we have the opportunity of once again voting on whether or not we want marriage to be defined as between a man and woman or not. In 2000 61% of the state voted that they did, but a few months ago 4 supreme court judges decided to go against the voice of the people and legalize gay marriage. We are not trying to get the State Constitution changed to include the same language that was on the proposition in 2000. Those who are against this proposition say that it is an issue of rights. That gays should have the right to be married. What about the rights of parents, what about the rights of those who believe in traditional marriage?

If California's Proposition 8 does not pass, there will be ramifications that those trying to defeat it do not want you to think about or look at. First, if the proposition doesn't pass it is very likely that something like what happened to the family in this video could happen in California. Basically, if the proposition doesn't pass, public schools will have to treat all marriage as equal. Since schools have curriculum for K-12 that involves sex education that is age appropriate, they will be teaching our children in elementary school that marriage between a two men, two women, or a man and a woman is the same thing. I don't know about you, but shouldn't parents have the right to teach their children about moral issues, and not have them go to school and get confused just because the law says it isn't any different? I for one, do not want my daughter or any other children that may come, to be forced to learn that marriage is between any two consenting adults regardless of gender.

The next big thing that could be affected if proposition 8 doesn't pass, is that religious adoption agencies will receive pressure to allow gay couples to adopt children from their agencies. Most of these adoption agencies have guidelines that dictate the types of people that are allowed to adopt children and it is usually based on the sponsoring church's beliefs. In Massachusetts, after gay marriage was passed the Catholic Adoption Agency received pressure, and instead of giving in closed their doors.

One last thing to note, is that if proposition 8 is not passed, then Churches and their members will be affected. There are many churches that do not support the idea of gay marriage, and if the proposition is not passed they would likely be asked to either perform the marriages, or open their doors for the marriages to be performed within their buildings. If they chose not too, they could be attacked on their tax exempt status, with people claiming that the government should not be supporting an institution with tax exemption that is "biased". Also, members of churches could be seen as intolerant and promoting intolerant views by teaching the same doctrine that they have always taught because it now happens to go against the newly passed law. Why should churches have to have their status jeopardized for doing the same thing they have always done? What happened to freedom of religion? Shouldn't I be able to not only believe what I want, but tell others what I believe without being accused of being intolerant or having it considered a hate crime? What happened to freedom of speech?

Those who are against proposition 8 want you to think that this proposition is taking away the rights of gays. In reality, it isn't. They will still have all the rights that they currently have under the civil union and domestic partnership laws, but will now be able to call their union a marriage. In the process, they will be taking away or jeopardizing the rights of all other Californians to free speech and freedom of religion. They will also put in jeopardy the rights of parents to teach their children. What about everyone else's rights that will be violated or taken away if Proposition 8 doesn't pass??

So, if you support Traditional Marriage, or even if you don't care much about the marriage part of the issue, think about the other rights that are being violated or taken away if the proposition doesn't pass. NOVEMBER 4th - GET OUT AND VOTE!!!